November 23, 2025
Joseph – Faith That Carries You Through
Devotions from the Life of a Dreamer with Character
26. When God Uses You for Others
Why your story is bigger than your pain
Daily Bible Verse
“God sent me ahead of you to preserve your life.”
Genesis 45:5
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Introduction
We usually see our life from our own perspective.
We think about what affects us, what hurts us, what we are waiting for.
But God sees further. He sees not only you, but also the people He intends to touch through your life.
Joseph recognized this greater perspective only in hindsight — and it changed how he understood his past.
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Devotion
Joseph’s path was marked by breaks and setbacks.
The dreams of his youth did not lead to quick fulfillment, but into situations that looked like loss and failure.
Being sold by his brothers tore him away from his family and everything familiar.
At Potiphar’s house, he tried to find his footing again and work faithfully, but a false accusation sent him to prison.
Even there he worked reliably, though he had no control over his circumstances.
These years were burdensome.
Joseph could have given up.
But he chose to be faithful in every situation and to take responsibility.
This attitude did not immediately change his circumstances — but it shaped his character.
During this time, God was working behind the scenes.
He was preparing Joseph for a task that Joseph himself could not yet see.
When Joseph later interpreted Pharaoh’s dream and was entrusted with responsibility over Egypt’s stores, it became clear that Joseph had been shaped precisely for this role.
When the famine began, people from many regions came to Egypt — among them Joseph’s brothers.
They had no idea who stood before them, but Joseph recognized them immediately.
This moment was decisive.
Joseph could have focused on his own wounds.
But he saw the bigger picture: his entire story had led him to a position from which he could help others — even those who had harmed him.
He later told his brothers that God had sent him ahead of them to preserve life.
With this, Joseph made clear that he did not judge his past only from a human point of view.
He saw God’s greater plan behind it.
His attitude shows:
The path God takes with us is sometimes difficult, but never meaningless.
Many things that hurt gain meaning only later, when we see that God used them to prepare us for others.
Joseph became a source of help for an entire nation and for his own family.
Not because he had done everything perfectly, but because God used his difficult years to prepare him for a greater task.
Thus his personal pain became part of a much larger rescue plan.
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Thoughts for Your Heart
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God often shapes you in times you would never have chosen yourself.
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Your story can help others — even if you do not see it yet.
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Hard paths do not mean that God has forgotten you.
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God works not only in you, but also through you.
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Practical Steps
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Look at moments in your life in which you grew — even though they were difficult.
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Ask God in prayer whom you could strengthen or support through your experiences.
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Do not focus only on your own needs, but also on those of the people around you.
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Practice faithfulness in the tasks before you today — not only in the big ones of tomorrow.
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Questions for Reflection
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Which difficult experiences have shaped me or made me stronger?
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Are there people I could help today because I have lived through something similar?
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Do I struggle to believe that God has a bigger plan for my path?
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Where might God be “sending me ahead” of someone right now?
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Prayer
Lord,
You know my path and every step that brought me to where I am today.
Help me to see the bigger connections I cannot yet recognize.
Give me a heart willing to serve others — even when it costs me something.
Use my experiences to bring hope and direction to others.
Let me see that my life is part of Your plan.
Amen.
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Blessing
May the Lord who led Joseph through difficult times
also lead you and make you a blessing to others.
May He give you clarity about your calling,
strength for your journey,
and the peace that comes from knowing
that God wastes nothing.
Amen.
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